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Feng L, Wang Y, Fu Y, Li T, He G. Stem Cell-Based Strategies: The Future Direction of Bioartificial Liver Development. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2024; 20:601-616. [PMID: 38170319 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-023-10672-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Acute liver failure (ALF) results from severe liver damage or end-stage liver disease. It is extremely fatal and causes serious health and economic burdens worldwide. Once ALF occurs, liver transplantation (LT) is the only definitive and recommended treatment; however, LT is limited by the scarcity of liver grafts. Consequently, the clinical use of bioartificial liver (BAL) has been proposed as a treatment strategy for ALF. Human primary hepatocytes are an ideal cell source for these methods. However, their high demand and superior viability prevent their widespread use. Hence, finding alternatives that meet the seed cell quality and quantity requirements is imperative. Stem cells with self-renewing, immunogenic, and differentiative capacities are potential cell sources. MSCs and its secretomes encompass a spectrum of beneficial properties, such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-ROS (reactive oxygen species), anti-apoptotic, pro-metabolomic, anti-fibrogenesis, and pro-regenerative attributes. This review focused on the recent status and future directions of stem cell-based strategies in BAL for ALF. Additionally, we discussed the opportunities and challenges associated with promoting such strategies for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550000, Guizhou, China.
| | - Yi Wang
- Shanxi Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030013, Shanxi, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510140, Guangdong, China.
| | - Guolin He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China.
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Guo A, Wang B, Lyu C, Li W, Wu Y, Zhu L, Bi R, Huang C, Li JJ, Du Y. Consistent apparent Young's modulus of human embryonic stem cells and derived cell types stabilized by substrate stiffness regulation promotes lineage specificity maintenance. CELL REGENERATION 2020; 9:15. [PMID: 32880028 PMCID: PMC7467757 DOI: 10.1186/s13619-020-00054-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apparent Young's modulus (AYM), which reflects the fundamental mechanical property of live cells measured by atomic force microscopy and is determined by substrate stiffness regulated cytoskeletal organization, has been investigated as potential indicators of cell fate in specific cell types. However, applying biophysical cues, such as modulating the substrate stiffness, to regulate AYM and thereby reflect and/or control stem cell lineage specificity for downstream applications, remains a primary challenge during in vitro stem cell expansion. Moreover, substrate stiffness could modulate cell heterogeneity in the single-cell stage and contribute to cell fate regulation, yet the indicative link between AYM and cell fate determination during in vitro dynamic cell expansion (from single-cell stage to multi-cell stage) has not been established. RESULTS Here, we show that the AYM of cells changed dynamically during passaging and proliferation on substrates with different stiffness. Moreover, the same change in substrate stiffness caused different patterns of AYM change in epithelial and mesenchymal cell types. Embryonic stem cells and their derived progenitor cells exhibited distinguishing AYM changes in response to different substrate stiffness that had significant effects on their maintenance of pluripotency and/or lineage-specific characteristics. On substrates that were too rigid or too soft, fluctuations in AYM occurred during cell passaging and proliferation that led to a loss in lineage specificity. On a substrate with 'optimal' stiffness (i.e., 3.5 kPa), the AYM was maintained at a constant level that was consistent with the parental cells during passaging and proliferation and led to preservation of lineage specificity. The effects of substrate stiffness on AYM and downstream cell fate were correlated with intracellular cytoskeletal organization and nuclear/cytoplasmic localization of YAP. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this study suggests that optimal substrate stiffness regulated consistent AYM during passaging and proliferation reflects and contributes to hESCs and their derived progenitor cells lineage specificity maintenance, through the underlying mechanistic pathways of stiffness-induced cytoskeletal organization and the downstream YAP signaling. These findings highlighted the potential of AYM as an indicator to select suitable substrate stiffness for stem cell specificity maintenance during in vitro expansion for regenerative applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Bingjie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Cheng Lyu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yaozu Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, 63130, USA
| | - Lu Zhu
- Institute of Systems Engineering, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Ran Bi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chenyu Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102218, China
| | - Jiao Jiao Li
- Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Yanan Du
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Chen J, Tschudy-Seney B, Ma X, Zern MA, Liu P, Duan Y. Salvianolic Acid B Enhances Hepatic Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Through Upregulation of WNT Pathway and Inhibition of Notch Pathway. Stem Cells Dev 2018; 27:252-261. [PMID: 29256825 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2017.0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocytes differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) could provide a powerful tool for enabling cell-based therapies, studying the mechanisms underlying human liver development and disease, and testing the efficacy and safety of pharmaceuticals. However, currently most in vitro protocols yield hepatocytes with low levels of liver function. In this study, we investigated the potential of Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), an active pharmaceutical compound present in Salvia miltiorrhiza, which has been shown to have an antifibrotic effect in previous studies, to enhance hepatocyte differentiation from human ESCs. After treatment with Sal B, albumin expression and secretion were consistently increased, indicating that Sal B could promote hepatocyte differentiation process. Expression of a large number of important phase 1 and 2 metabolizing enzymes and phase 3 transporters was also increased in treated cells, indicating an enhanced biotransformation function. Our investigations further revealed the activation of Wnt pathway in treated cells, as determined by upregulation of Wnts, which increased amounts of nuclear β-catenin. This increased nuclear β-catenin led in turn to the enhanced expression of T cell factor (TCF) 3 and lymphoid enhancer-binding factor (LEF) 1 which upregulated their downstream targets, cyclin D1 and c-Myc. Notch receptors (Notch1, Notch3), Notch ligand (Jagged2), and Notch receptor targets [hairy and enhancer of split (Hes) 1, 5] were downregulated in treated cells, suggesting that Notch pathway was inhibited. Consistent with the inhibition of Notch pathway, expression of cholangiocyte marker, CK7, was significantly reduced by treatment with Sal B. Numb, a direct transcriptional target of Wnt pathway and a negative regulator of Notch pathway, was upregulated, consistent with activation of Wnt signaling and suppression of Notch signaling. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that Sal B enhanced hepatocyte differentiation from human ESCs through activation of Wnt pathway and inhibition of Notch pathway. Therefore, this study suggests that Sal B can be used as a potential agent to generate more mature hepatocytes for cell-based therapeutics and pharmaceutical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamei Chen
- 1 Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Shanghai, China .,2 Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China .,3 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China .,4 E-institutes of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Shanghai, China .,5 Department of Internal Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis Medical Center , Sacramento, California
| | - Benjamin Tschudy-Seney
- 5 Department of Internal Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis Medical Center , Sacramento, California
| | - Xiaocui Ma
- 5 Department of Internal Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis Medical Center , Sacramento, California
| | - Mark A Zern
- 5 Department of Internal Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis Medical Center , Sacramento, California
| | - Ping Liu
- 1 Institute of Liver Diseases, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Shanghai, China .,2 Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China .,3 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China .,4 E-institutes of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , Shanghai, China
| | - Yuyou Duan
- 5 Department of Internal Medicine, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis Medical Center , Sacramento, California.,6 Department of Dermatology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis Medical Center , Sacramento, California
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Wang Y, Lee JH, Shirahama H, Seo J, Glenn JS, Cho NJ. Extracellular Matrix Functionalization and Huh-7.5 Cell Coculture Promote the Hepatic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a 3D ICC Hydrogel Scaffold. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 2:2255-2265. [PMID: 33465898 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we constructed a microporous hydrogel scaffold with hexagonally packed interconnected cavities and extracellular matrix (ECM)-functionalized interior surface, and systematically investigated the hepatic differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) under the influence of three key factors: three-dimensional (3D) geometry, ECM presence, and coculture with hepatocyte-derived cell line. Results confirmed that (i) hepatic differentiation of hAD-MSC is more efficient in a 3D microporous scaffold than in 2D monolayer culture; (ii) the presence of both ECM components (fibronectin and collagen-I) in the scaffold is superior to collagen-I only, highlighting the importance of fibronectin; and (iii) coculture with Huh-7.5 hepatocyte-derived cells promoted liver-specific functions of the hAD-MSC-derived hepatocytes. The optimized differentiation process only took 21 days to complete, a time length that is shorter or at least comparable to previous reports, and more importantly, yielded an albumin production more than 10-fold higher than conventional 2D culture. Our approach of optimizing hAD-MSC hepatic differentiation could provide a potential solution to the challenges such as hepatocyte transplantation or the establishment of human physiologically relevant liver models in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore
| | - Jae-Ho Lee
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore
| | - Hitomi Shirahama
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore
| | - Jeongeun Seo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore
| | - Jeffrey S Glenn
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Alway Building, Room M211, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Fairchild Building, D300, 299 Campus Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Nam-Joon Cho
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore.,School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Avenue 637459, Singapore
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Zeilinger K, Freyer N, Damm G, Seehofer D, Knöspel F. Cell sources for in vitro human liver cell culture models. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2016; 241:1684-98. [PMID: 27385595 PMCID: PMC4999620 DOI: 10.1177/1535370216657448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro liver cell culture models are gaining increasing importance in pharmacological and toxicological research. The source of cells used is critical for the relevance and the predictive value of such models. Primary human hepatocytes (PHH) are currently considered to be the gold standard for hepatic in vitro culture models, since they directly reflect the specific metabolism and functionality of the human liver; however, the scarcity and difficult logistics of PHH have driven researchers to explore alternative cell sources, including liver cell lines and pluripotent stem cells. Liver cell lines generated from hepatomas or by genetic manipulation are widely used due to their good availability, but they are generally altered in certain metabolic functions. For the past few years, adult and pluripotent stem cells have been attracting increasing attention, due their ability to proliferate and to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro However, controlling the differentiation of these cells is still a challenge. This review gives an overview of the major human cell sources under investigation for in vitro liver cell culture models, including primary human liver cells, liver cell lines, and stem cells. The promises and challenges of different cell types are discussed with a focus on the complex 2D and 3D culture approaches under investigation for improving liver cell functionality in vitro Finally, the specific application options of individual cell sources in pharmacological research or disease modeling are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Zeilinger
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nora Freyer
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Georg Damm
- Department of General-, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Seehofer
- Department of General-, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fanny Knöspel
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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6
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Gómez-Lechón MJ, Tolosa L. Human hepatocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells: a promising cell model for drug hepatotoxicity screening. Arch Toxicol 2016; 90:2049-2061. [PMID: 27325232 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-016-1756-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a frequent cause of failure in both clinical and post-approval stages of drug development, and poses a key challenge to the pharmaceutical industry. Current animal models offer poor prediction of human DILI. Although several human cell-based models have been proposed for the detection of human DILI, human primary hepatocytes remain the gold standard for preclinical toxicological screening. However, their use is hindered by their limited availability, variability and phenotypic instability. In contrast, pluripotent stem cells, which include embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), proliferate extensively in vitro and can be differentiated into hepatocytes by the addition of soluble factors. This provides a stable source of hepatocytes for multiple applications, including early preclinical hepatotoxicity screening. In addition, iPSCs also have the potential to establish genotype-specific cells from different individuals, which would increase the predictivity of toxicity assays allowing more successful clinical trials. Therefore, the generation of human hepatocyte-like cells derived from pluripotent stem cells seems to be promising for overcoming limitations of hepatocyte preparations, and it is expected to have a substantial repercussion in preclinical hepatotoxicity risk assessment in early drug development stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Gómez-Lechón
- Unidad de Hepatología Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe de Valencia, Torre A, 6ª Planta, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain.,CIBERehd, FIS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Tolosa
- Unidad de Hepatología Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe de Valencia, Torre A, 6ª Planta, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain.
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7
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Sahni G, Yuan J, Toh YC. Stencil Micropatterning of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Probing Spatial Organization of Differentiation Fates. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 27340925 DOI: 10.3791/54097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, have the intrinsic ability to differentiate into all three germ layers. This makes them an attractive cell source for regenerative medicine and experimental modeling of normal and diseased organogenesis. However, the differentiation of hPSCs in vitro is heterogeneous and spatially disordered. Cell micropatterning technologies potentially offer the means to spatially control stem cell microenvironments and organize the resultant differentiation fates. Micropatterning hPSCs needs to take into account the stringent requirements for hPSC survival and maintenance. Here, we describe stencil micropatterning as a method that is highly compatible with hPSCs. hPSC micropatterns are specified by the geometries of the cell stencil through-holes, which physically confine the locations where hPSCs can access and attach to the underlying extracellular matrix-coated substrate. Due to this mode of operation, there is greater flexibility to use substrates that can adequately support hPSCs as compared to other cell micropatterning methods. We also highlight critical steps for the successful generation of hPSC micropatterns. As an example, we demonstrate that stencil micropatterning of hPSCs can be used to modulate spatial polarization of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions, which in turn determines mesoendoderm differentiation patterns. This simple and robust method to micropattern hPSCs widens the prospects of establishing experimental models to investigate tissue organization and patterning during early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetika Sahni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore
| | - Jun Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore
| | - Yi-Chin Toh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore; Singapore Institute of Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore;
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Song W, Lu YC, Frankel AS, An D, Schwartz RE, Ma M. Engraftment of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes in immunocompetent mice via 3D co-aggregation and encapsulation. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16884. [PMID: 26592180 PMCID: PMC4655358 DOI: 10.1038/srep16884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular therapies for liver diseases and in vitro models for drug testing both require functional human hepatocytes (Hum-H), which have unfortunately been limited due to the paucity of donor liver tissues. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent a promising and potentially unlimited cell source to derive Hum-H. However, the hepatic functions of these hPSC-derived cells to date are not fully comparable to adult Hum-H and are more similar to fetal ones. In addition, it has been challenging to obtain functional hepatic engraftment of these cells with prior studies having been done in immunocompromised animals. In this report, we demonstrated successful engraftment of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocyte-like cells (iPS-H) in immunocompetent mice by pre-engineering 3D cell co-aggregates with stromal cells (SCs) followed by encapsulation in recently developed biocompatible hydrogel capsules. Notably, upon transplantation, human albumin and α1-antitrypsin (A1AT) in mouse sera secreted by encapsulated iPS-H/SCs aggregates reached a level comparable to the primary Hum-H/SCs control. Further immunohistochemistry of human albumin in retrieved cell aggregates confirmed the survival and function of iPS-H. This proof-of-concept study provides a simple yet robust approach to improve the engraftment of iPS-H, and may be applicable to many stem cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Song
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Yen-Chun Lu
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Angela S. Frankel
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Duo An
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Robert E. Schwartz
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Minglin Ma
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Hu C, Li L. In vitro culture of isolated primary hepatocytes and stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells for liver regeneration. Protein Cell 2015; 6:562-74. [PMID: 26088193 PMCID: PMC4506286 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-015-0180-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Various liver diseases result in terminal hepatic failure, and liver transplantation, cell transplantation and artificial liver support systems are emerging as effective therapies for severe hepatic disease. However, all of these treatments are limited by organ or cell resources, so developing a sufficient number of functional hepatocytes for liver regeneration is a priority. Liver regeneration is a complex process regulated by growth factors (GFs), cytokines, transcription factors (TFs), hormones, oxidative stress products, metabolic networks, and microRNA. It is well-known that the function of isolated primary hepatocytes is hard to maintain; when cultured in vitro, these cells readily undergo dedifferentiation, causing them to lose hepatocyte function. For this reason, most studies focus on inducing stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) in vitro. In this review, we mainly focus on the nature of the liver regeneration process and discuss how to maintain and enhance in vitro hepatic function of isolated primary hepatocytes or stem cell-derived HLCs for liver regeneration. In this way, hepatocytes or HLCs may be applied for clinical use for the treatment of terminal liver diseases and may prolong the survival time of patients in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxia Hu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
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